In 2014, the Mitrovica Rock School (Kosovo) welcomed a record number of new students, bringing the total number of active Rock School bands to ten – not counting our six ethnically mixed Ambassador Bands.

These ten bands kicked off the new year with concerts on both sides of Mitrovica – for many students their first chance to show parents and friends what they had learned.

The line-up in north Mitrovica included the debut almost-all-girl band – one male member – Leb i Label and young band Zumance (ages 14-18). But according to the front woman of Ambassador Band Sublime 6, it was the also young but more experienced Skart (ages 14-16) who stole the show:

“Full house last night at Crym Club, where we listened to the new Mitrovica Rock School bands. Everyone did such a great job, but these guys stole the show, in my opinion. Skart gave us an amazing performance of the songs that are usually on their list (including their own song Simbol), but also added their new song to the list, keeping the audience dancing and jumping the whole time, and asking for an encore in the end. Thank you guys for the awesome gig and proving, once again, that punk is not dead!”Jelena, Rock School student since 2010 and Sublime 6 front woman.

Skart frontman Nikola

The new students in south Mitrovica showed an audience of about 150 people just how well their bands can hold their own – and also what happens when teenagers have full creative control over their band’s name and image. The lineup included Rock School bands Fart and Scream, Dark Shadow, Orion and Andra, and the concert ended with a jam session of teachers, trainees and students alike.

Leka of Fart and Scream

The Mitrovica Rock School has a full concert program planned for 2015: eight to ten school concerts in the next ten months. Plenty of opportunity for all our new bands to prove that Mitrovica is once again Rock City.